The way Grandma used to...

My Mom, my cousin Amy and I having been canning up storm! WHEW! And we have the stained fingernails and sore backs to prove it. HA! HA! Amy has a wonderful assortment of fruit trees at her new home, so we thought we would take advantage of the yummy FREE produce. The first to come were the 2 apricots trees. I made several batches of fruit leather and we ate a ton. I love apricots and the stuff you get at the store doesn't even compare. We started with her 3 peach trees. We made cobblers, pies and fruit leather. We also canned over 40 jars of peaches and a couple batches of freezer jam. Next was the tomatoes growing on the farm just across the street from her house. We canned about 25 jars of those. Then came the green beans, also growing across the street. We had some help from my Dad who picked all the tomatoes and Kenley and Cooper who went over and picked all the beans. Jill came over one Monday and the 3 of us made several batches of salsa. Last, but not least was the pears from Amy's trees. They are the best pears ever! Better than anything you'll get in the store. We did about 20 jars or more of those...and there is still some left on the tree that aren't quite ripe. It was a lot of work especially while trying to help Amy still tend to her 4 kids. But, it was so nice to spend so much time together talking. You know how girls are! Amy has 3 apples trees and that will be our next project...applesauce, dried apples and fruit leather. Oh! And did I mention that she also have several chive plants that I have been very happy to cut and use when I'm cooking. Any was just call me Betty Crocker...or better yet Paula Deen!!!